Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that those who indulged in violence would be brought to book after cops checked CCTV footage. Senior officer says police avoided firing in the air; registering of FIRs gets underway
Motorcycles and other two-wheelers damaged in the violence yesterday on LBS Marg in Vikhroli. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar
Various parts of the state witnessed violence that left dozens wounded and public and private property damaged yesterday. The process of registration of FIRs was underway in various districts as the police swung into action after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that those who indulged in violence would be brought to book after cops checked CCTV footage.
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Also read - Mumbai bandh: Public transport crippled as protesters bring city to a standstill
A superintendent of police from the state DG office said, "Apart from some places in Mumbai, majority of the violence was reported in Marathwada, western Maharashtra, Aurangabad and Nanded during Wednesday's bandh."
A senior officer said cops sustained minor injuries, but avoided firing in the air to control the mob. "Adequate security arrangements were made — 30 SRPF companies have been deployed across the state with homeguards. There will be bandobast through the night," he added. "By Thursday morning we will get to know how many offences were registered in connection with violence during the bandh."
Protesters vandalised the car of journalist Ashwini Panday
Two police bikes set on fire, 10 policemen injured
As several parts of the city faced violence on Wednesday, the situation in Powai became all the more critical around 3.30 pm, when a mob allegedly burnt two police bikes near the L&T gate and started pelting stone at cops, leaving 10 of them injured. The police are scanning the CCTV footage of the areas from Powai to Vikhroli and Powai to Jogeshwari to identify those involved in the violence. "Several people were injured in the incident, including policemen. The process of registering FIRs is on," said Navinchandra Reddy, deputy commissioner of police, zone X.
Asif Rizvi
Drug mule trying to sneak in ganja arrested
Taking advantage of the tension that had gripped Mumbai since Tuesday, a 23-year-old Dhule resident tried to smuggle in 110 kg ganja into the city. However, he didn't know that Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) officers already had a tip-off about him. The accused, Nitin Shegaonkar, was arrested on Tuesday night, and the consignment along with the Swift Dzire car in which he had tried to transport it seized.
DCP (ANC) Shivdeep Lande said, "Usually, criminals feel safe to work whenever there is police bandobast or a holiday." Shegaonkar, who was driving a car registered in his father's name, felt entering the city on Tuesday night would be ideal. A Dhule-based drug peddler used to pay him Rs 2,000 per kg of ganja delivered; as per this, Tuesday's delivery would have earned him Rs 2.20 lakh.
Suraj Ojha
Seven journalists manhandled
Seven journalists from different media organisations, including three women, were allegedly manhandled by protesters. TV journalist Mrityunjay Singh told mid-day, "Around 11 am at Ramabai Nagar, near Ghatkopar highway where protesters had blocked the road, while I was covering the event, a group came and [verbally] abused me. They warned me to leave and threatened to destroy my camera."
Ashwini Panday, another journalist, also had a rough experience. "When I was covering the protest near Vikhroli Gandhi bridge, protesters came and abused me. I had parked my vehicle under the bridge. Around 2 pm, my driver called me and said they had vandalised the vehicle," he said.
Suraj Ojha
Laying vehicles to waste
WHILE vehicles on city's roads were in harm's way during Wednesday's protests, those parked inside residential buildings weren't spared either. A mob vandalising vehicles parked parallel to the Vikhroli station on the western side. Around 30 of them entered Saroj Bhavan building and damaged more than 15 vehicles parked there. Santosh Wagh
110 kg Quantity of the ganja accused tried to transport
Rs 2.20 lakh Money he would have made for transporting it
100 No. of protesters who damaged vehicles
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